Resilient washer for rail spikes



J1me 1951 A. c. FULTON 2,557,271

RESILIENT WASHER FOR RAIL SPIKES Filed Dec. 17, 1947 HITOQNEy Patented June 19, 1951 UNiTED STATES PATENT OFFICE The Dunne-Rubber Company,

a corporation of Ohio Application December 17, 1947, Serial No. 792,229

2 Claims. 1

This invention relates to a resilient member for use with a fastening means employed to secure railroad rails to supporting members. More particularly, the invention relates to a resilient washer adapted to be interposed between the head of a rail spike and the flange of a rail which is secured to a cross tie by means of the spike.

Railroad rails are conventionally supported upon wooden cross ties to which they are secured by spikes, the heads of which engage the upper surface of the flange of the rail. When rolling stock passes over rails supported in this manner the rails tend to rebound against the heads of the spikes due to the reaction of the rails as the load imposed by the rolling stock is removed therefrom. This rebound is accentuated Whenever the ballast does not uniformly support the ties, a condition which frequently occurs after the rails have been in use for some time, and is particularly pronounced adjacent the joints of the rails due to the impacts imparted to the rails as the trucks of the rolling stock pass over the joints. The rebound of the rails, however produced, causes the flanges of the rails to strike against the heads of the spikes, exerting a pulling force on the spikes and tending to withdraw them from the ties, with the result that the spikes are gradually loosened so that they no longer properly secure the rails to the ties. Consequently, constant inspection and resetting of the spikes is necessary to prevent accidents. Moreover, the striking of the flanges of the rails against the heads of the spikes, when the former rebound against the latter, is productive of noise and vibrations.

While the problems presented by rebound of the rails are particularly acute when the rails are secured by means of the conventional cut type rail spikes, similar problems are present when other types of fastening means are employed for securing the rails to cross ties formed of wood or any other appropriate material. Therefore, although the invention is hereinafter described with particular reference to its use in conjunction with conventional rail spikes for securing rails to Wooden ties it is not limited thereto but is applicable to fastening means of other types employed for securing rails to supporting members.

The principal object of the invention is the provision of a novel resilient member which is simple and inexpensive to manufacture and is adapted to be interposed between the head of a conventional rail fastener and the upper sur- Ashtabula, Ohio,

face of the flange of a rail to cushion the rebound of said rail when rolling stock passes thereover, thereby preventing loosening and/or Withdrawal of the fastener from the supporting member to which it is secured and eliminating noise caused by movement of a rail against the head of the fastener.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel resilient washer adapted to be used with a rail spike to provide a cushion between the rail and the head of the spike, the said washer being constructed and arranged in a manner to facilitate proper positioning thereof with respect to the head of the spike and to prevent lateral and/or rotative displacement therebetween.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel resilient washer of the type defined in the preceding object which has a rectangular aperture for receiving the shank of a rail spike and a laterally extending portion adapted to extend under the elongated head of the spike, the said laterally extending portion having a recess therein to receive the lower portion of said elongated head and cooperate therewith to prevent rotative and/or lateral movement between said spike and washer.

The invention further resides in certain novel features of construction, and further objects and advantages thereof will be apparent to those skilled in the art to which it pertains from the following description of the present preferred embodiment thereof, described with reference to the accompanying drawing in which similar reference characters represent corresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional rail spike with a resilient washer, constructed in accordance with the invention, applying thereto;

Fig. 2 is a view, partly in perspective and partly in section, and showing a rail secured to a cross tie by a spike provided with a resilient Washer of the type illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view of a rail secured to a cross tie by a conventional spike provided with a resilient washer of. the type illustrated in Fig. 1; e

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the present preferred form of the novel washer per se;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4 and looking in the direction indicated by the arrows;

Fig. 6 is a bottom plan view of the washer illustrated in Figs! and 5; and,

Fig. '7 is a side elevational view of the washer illustrated in Figs. 4 to 6.

Referring to the drawing, the reference numeral H3 designates generally a conventional railroad rail comprising the usual head portion H, web I2 and flange I3. This rail is supported upon the usual cross tie M by a tie plate P, the rail being secured to the tie by a fastening means, generally designated !5, which is here illustrated as being a conventional cut type rail spike. As is well known, a spike of this nature comprises a substantially rectangular shank Hi, the lower end of which is provided with a wedgetype point I? while the upper end is provided with an elongated head I8 which extends transversely to a greater extent at one side of the shank than at the other sides thereof. The lower portion of the head 88 is provided with a downwardly extending integral portion Il having substantially straight sides converging towards the forward portion of the head. In accordancewith conventional procedures, such a spike is employed to secure the rail Hi to the cross tie M by driving the former into the latter closely adjacent the longitudinal edge of the flange I3 of the rail and with the head l8 overlying the upper surface of the rail flange, the tie plate P having suitable openings to freely receive the spikes. As mentioned above, rails secured in this manner tend to rebound as rolling ,stock passes thereover with the result that an upward force is exerted against the heads is of the securing spikes causing noise and/or partially withdrawing the spikes from the ties.

Inorder to prevent this rebound of the rails from being transmitted to the heads of the spikes, and hence to reduce the noise and/or tendencyv to withdraw the spikes from the ties, the present invention contemplates the interposition of a resilient member or washer, generally designated 20, between the head it of the spike and the upper surface of the rail flange [3. This resilient washer may take a variety of forms but it preferably has a configuration, when viewed from the top thereof, generally similar to the shape of the head of a spike with which it is to be employed. As shown in the drawings, the washer has a substantially rectangular portion 2| from one side of which an integral portion 22 extends in a lateral direction,

the edges of the portion 22 having sides which tend to converge so that the portion 22 has the shape of a trapezium.

Extending through the rectangular portion 2| of the resilient member or washer 2B is a rectangularly shaped aperture 23 of sufficient size to slidingly receive the shank N of a conventi'onal rail spike 15. The sides of this rectantangular aperture cooperate with the sides of the shank of the spike to prevent lateral and/or rotative displacement of the washer with respect to the spike, the washer being applied to the spike in the manner shown in the drawing so that the laterally projecting portion 22 fits under the elongated portion of the head l8. To further assist in properly positioning the washer with respect to the spike, and to prevent relative lateral and/or rotative movement therebetween, the upper surface of the portion 22 of the washer is recessed, as indicated at 24, to accommodate the downwardly extending portion IQ of, the head H! of the spike. Hence, the side walls of the recess 24 cooperate with the portion J9 of, the spike to maintain the washer in proper alignment withthe head thereof.

In using the resilient member or washer of this invention, the shank l6 of the spike is inserted through the aperture 23 and the washer is moved to the position shown in Fig. l. The spike thus supplied with the washer is then driven into the cross tie 14 in the conventional manner until the flange 13 of the rail and tie plate are firmly clamped to the tie by the washer and the head of the spike, the parts occupying the positions substantially as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. It will thus be noted that the portion of the material of the washer forming the bottom of the recess 24 provides a resilient pad between the upper surface of the rail flange [3 and the head i8 of the spike, the material of the washer being of sufhcient thickness and strength to prevent the spike from cutting therethrough. As noted above, the rectangular shape of the aperture 23 and the walls of the recess 24 prevent displacement of the washer with respect to the spike during driving so that the latter is easily positioned as shown in the drawings without the exercise of any particular skill or care upon the part of the operator setting the spikes.

When rolling stock passes over a rail secured in this manner, with the washer 2U interposed between the head of the spike and the flange of the rail, the said washer cushions the rebound of the rail flange, caused by the removal of the load from the rail, so that there is no sudden impact against the spike heads. As a result the tendency of the spikes to be loosened or withdrawn from the ties is greatly lessened, if not entirely eliminated, and there is less noise.

In the illustrated form, the resilient member or washer 20 has a shape such that the upper and lower surfaces thereof, and the upper surface of the recess 24, all are substantially paraliel. This provides a uniform thickness of material between the rail flange and the under portion E9 of the spike head, the washer being deformed when the spike is driven to occupy a position substantially as shown in Fig. 3. It will be readily apparent, however, that, if desired, the forwardly projecting portion 22 of the washer may be constructed with its lower surface inclined at an angle corresponding with the angle of inclination of-the upper surface of the rail flange I3 and with the upper surface of the recess 24 likewise parallel with the upper surface of the flange. Likewise, the resilient member or washer need not have the outer configuration shown in the drawings but may be rectangular, circular or otherwise shaped as desired. The present construction is, however, desirable because it enables a spike extractor to be employed since the sides of the spike head extend beyond the sides of the washer sufficiently to permit such a tool to engage therewith and without damage to the washer. The washer 20 is preferably constructed of either natural or synthetic rubber of a type having good strength characteristics and capable of resisting aging and deterioration from exposure to the elements. While solid rubber for the resilient member or washer is preferred, the washer may also be formed of a fabric-rubber composition or of other suitable resilient materials.

Although the invention has been illustrated and described as employed With rails supported upon tie plates and secured by conventional spikes, it will be apparent that the novel washer will operate in the same manner if no tie plate is employed. Also, while the novel Washer has been described primarily with respect to its use with conventional rail spikes it will be apparent that similar washers may be employed with other rail fastening means such as screws or the like and that the configurations of the washer will then be adapted to the particular type fastening means employed. Various other modifications and adaptations of the invention will occur to those skilled in the art and therefore the invention is not to be considered as limited to the exact construction herein illustrated and described but only as required by the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A resilient washer adapted to be interposed between the head of a rail fastener and the upper surface of the flange of a railroad rail, the said washer having an aperture therethrough adapted to receive the shank of the fastener, the portion of said washer adjacent said aperture being provided with a non-circular recess of a shape substantially conforming with the underside of the head of the fastener and the portions of the washer surrounding said aperture and forming the bottom of said recess having sufiicient width and thickness to provide a resilient pad between the said head of the fastener and the rail when the latter is secured to a supporting member by said fastener, whereby the said resilient washer cushions the rebound of said rail when rolling stock passes thereover.

2. A resilient washer adapted to be used with a rail spike having a rectangular shank and a head including an elongated portion projecting 6 laterally from one side of said shank, the said washer comprising a unitary member of resilient material having a substantially rectangular aperture therethrough adapted to slidingly receive the shank of a rail spike, the walls of said aperture cooperating with the shank of said spike when positioned thereabout to prevent relative rotation and lateral movement therebetween, the said member having a laterally extending portion provided with a recess in the upper surface thereof to receive the lower portion of the elongated portion of the head of said spike when the Washer is positioned on said spike, the side Walls of said recess cooperating with the said lower portion of the head of the spike to further prevent lateral and rotative displacement of the washer relative to the spike, and the material of said laterally extending portion of the washer forming the bottom of said recess providing a resilient pad between the elongated portion of the head of the spike and a member secured thereby.

ALFRED C. FULTON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 234,458 Collingwood Nov. 16, 1880 578,100 Hay Mar. 2, 1897 2,094,279 Moses Sept. 28, 1937 2,257,923 Verplanck Oct. 7, 1941 2,439,516 Holcomb Apr. 13, 1948 

